The Pitt baseball team traveled to South Carolina last weekend to begin its 2005 season…. The Pitt baseball team traveled to South Carolina last weekend to begin its 2005 season. Playing in the IMIChotels.com Inn-Vitational Tournament, the Panthers (2-2) were victorious against Rider (0-4) in two games, but dropped two tough decisions to Coastal Carolina (7-1).

“I thought we played fairly solid this weekend,” head coach Joe Jordano said. “We played 33 of 36 innings very well.”

Pitt 9, Rider 6

The Panthers battled back from a 3-2 deficit in the first game of the tournament with a three-run fifth inning on Friday.

After Preseason Big East Player of the Year Jim Negrych tripled home Peter Parise to cut the lead to one, Dan Ford hit a two-run home run to right field, his first as a Panther, giving Pitt a 5-3 lead.

Rider bounced back, taking a 6-5 lead, scoring two runs in the top of the eighth, but the Panthers answered back with four runs in the bottom of the frame. With two outs, Ben Copeland singled home Jimmy Mayer to tie the game at six. Then, with two men on base, Parise, who finished 4-for-5, belted a three-run home run down the left field line for the game-winning runs.

Jeff Barnyak picked up the win in relief of starter Don Rhoten, going four and one-third innings, giving up three earned runs. Shaun Butler worked a near-perfect ninth for his first save.

Coastal Carolina 11, Pitt 8

Parise continued his red-hot hitting on Friday, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs, but it wasn’t enough, as the host Chanticleers scored eight runs in the seventh inning to pull out the win.

With the score tied at one, the Chanticleers scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, only to let the Panthers tie the score with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth. After Ford walked, pitcher Billy Muldowney swatted his first career home run to left field, knotting the score at three. Pitt then took the lead back with two more runs in the seventh, with RBI singles from Copeland and Parise.

However, the bottom of the seventh was a nightmare for Pitt, as Coastal scored eight runs. Robert Brant and Shaun Butler combined to allow three hits, six earned runs and three walks without recording an out before Mike Bassage came on to stop the bleeding.

Pitt mustered three runs in the top of the ninth, led by Negrych’s two-RBI single, but that would be it. Muldowney earned a no-decision, pitching six strong innings for Pitt and allowing just three hits and one earned run.

Coastal Carolina 6, Pitt 5

For the second straight day, the Chanticleers got the best of the Panthers in a close game. On Saturday, Coastal struck first with two runs in the first inning off of Panther starter Paul Nardozzi.

Pitt responded with two runs in the top of the fifth. After Cline and Copeland both walked and executed a double steal, Negrych doubled to right center to tie the score at two.

In the bottom of the same inning, Coastal got the lead back for good with four runs highlighted by Michael DeJesus’s two-run double and a solo home run from Danny Morgan. The Panthers got three runs back in the top of the sixth, cutting the lead to one, but the tying run escaped them for the final three innings. Trailing by one in the ninth, Pitt had runners on first and second with one out, but Ford hit into a double play to end the game.

“They took advantage of the mistakes that we made,” Jordano said. “That cost us two wins. This week they are ranked No. 23 in the latest poll, and deservedly so.”

Pitt 6, Rider 4

In the final game of the tournament, Mayer and Ford led Pitt to its second win of the season. With the game tied at one in the fourth, Negrych singled and later scored on a double by Ford, who eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Mike Zambriczki. Rider scored once in the bottom of the fourth to bring the deficit to one, but Pitt added two more runs in the top of the sixth on two wild pitches and an error.

The three-run lead didn’t last long for Pitt, as Mayer committed his fifth error of the season, leading to two Rider runs. Clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth, Pitt played some small ball for insurance. After Megale walked to start the inning, Mayer reached on a bunt single. David Cline then sacrificed Megale to third and Mayer to second before Copeland’s RBI groundout gave Pitt some breathing room.

Butler came in and picked up his second save of the tournament.

“We have to eliminate some of the physical errors we made and tighten up our command on the mound, and I believe we will be OK,” Jordano said. “I can’t wait to get back out and get after it again this weekend.”

The Panthers are back in action March 5, when they take on LaSalle in Boca Raton, Fla., during spring break.